


By The Power Of Two

by ThatScottishShipper



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Battle Couple, Blood and Injury, Bonding, Don’t post to another site, First Kiss, Galra Keith (Voltron), Gift Exchange, Hunk thinks that Keith likes Shiro, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mutual Pining, Spoilers, semi canon compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2020-01-14
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:34:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,979
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22256527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatScottishShipper/pseuds/ThatScottishShipper
Summary: On a mission to procure a new source of crystallised energy, Hunk and Keith fight off a threat...  and grow closer.*Written for the Hunk Winter Holiday Exchange 2019.*
Relationships: Hunk/Keith (Voltron)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 66





	By The Power Of Two

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Fenixseraph](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Fenixseraph).



Soft snowflakes crunched underfoot, the Red Paladin and the Yellow Paladin marching towards their destination on the cold planet. Their mission? To secure the crystallised power source needed to fuel the ship.

As much as they relied on the ‘old faithful Teleduv’ technology, their skirmish with Zarkon and his Empire took them further across the galaxy, especially when it came to helping in the liberation of colonies.

The Defenders of the Universe needed all the help they could get, and this seemingly bountiful source was right on their doorstep.

Coran located the ancient surging power source protected inside crystals, ideal for charging the Castle of Lion’s warp drive for vargas’. Allura questioned the morality of plundering a planet’s natural supply, but Pidge - forever the scientific mind - backed the advisor up.

They  _ needed _ this to get the upper hand.

Everyone got paired up and shipped off to nearby planets of interest. Sent out into the white unknown, Hunk and Keith found themselves on the “Quest for the Magical Maguffin” (in Lance’s words.)

_ ‘A cluster of frozen, ice planets,’ _ Hunk noted, stomping stiffly through the tundra.  _ ‘What I wouldn’t give to be Coran right now, wrapped up safe and warm in the ship, probably chugging down a nice hot chocolate smothered with whipped cream and marshmallows…’ _

A chilling wind blasted him, bringing an end to that pleasant fantasy. Instead, Hunk focused on Keith, amazed at how… unphased he was about the blood chilling temperature.

_ ‘Is it the being part Galra thing?’ _ Hunk nodded to himself.  _ ‘Must be the part Galra thing.’ _

“You and me,” Hunk forced out, between clattering teeth, “on the open road, brings back memories.” Keith said nothing, and Hunk continued. “At least this time, we’re not shooting out Weblum butts, am I right?”

When silence greeted him, Hunk groaned, but he was not put off. Casual chatter helped take his mind off the bad things, like worst case scenarios that involved them freezing to death or a big snow monster swallowing them whole, or…

_ ‘No, no, no, Hunk. We talked about this. Freak out bombs won’t help, besides Keith needs you right now.’ _

He took a deep breath, and tried again.

“Last time I came to a frozen planet like this was with Lance,” Hunk explained. “There were merpeople.”

Realising he should probably say something, Keith muttered the bare minimum. “Yeah. Cool, Hunk.”

Still ploughing his way through the snowstorm, Hunk stayed on point.  _ ‘Cool. He remembers my name. That’s something.’  _ Nevertheless, it was impossible for him not to feel shafted by Keith’s reluctance, even if he wasn’t the best conversationalist.

_ ‘Then again, a lot’s happened between us all, hasn’t it, boy?’ _ Even from a distance, Hunk felt that comforting yawn of a Lion inside his mind, agreeing with him.  _ ‘Poor guy’s still hurting bad, even if he doesn’t say it.’ _

Hunk didn’t want to force him, knowing conflict when he saw it. He did what he did best - small talk.

“Good thing the suits keep us protected from the cold, huh?” He held out his coated hand, catching little snowflakes in his palm. “You ever catch snowflakes with your tongue before?”

There it was, the flickering making of a smile that almost snuffed out Hunk’s heart. Best as he tried to hide it, Hunk had seen it, and it was the most warming sight on the entire snow field.

“Tch, no?” But Keith did seem intrigued. “Who does that?”

“Like, everybody?” Hunk replied, indignantly. Satisfied that the oxygen levels were safe, he deactivated his helmet, and he kept gesturing for Keith to watch him. “Watch this. I’m something of a snowflake catching master.”

He raised his head to the dark skies, stuck his tongue out, catching a snowflake immediately. The sight of Hunk, tongue stuck out, cheering “ta da” with a face completely pelted with windswept snow was too much, even for Keith.

Trying to disguise his amusement with a snort, Keith indulged by following suit. He deactivated his Paladin helmet, and staring directly at Hunk with a cheeky smirk as he stuck his tongue out. The Yellow Paladin was positive it was aimed at him.

A snowflake fluttered in the gentle breeze, then touched the tip of Keith’s tongue.

Exactly when Keith was thrown sidewards into the bloodstained snow by violent momentum.

Most often, people spoke of decisive moments happening in cinematic slow motion, but Hunk knew that was a lie. He spurred into action immediately, stumbling towards his injured friend.

“ _ Keith! _ ”

With a whisk of the wrist, his bayard materialised into a mighty cannon, but the weight did not slow him down. Adrenaline pushed him onward towards Keith, determined to put himself in front of him if need be.

Anything to save him.

Warning shots were not an option, not after an unarmed Keith had already been wounded. Hunk took aim at the sprinting snow creatures, resembling skinny, withered humanoids, aiming their claws at his friend, and  _ fired _ .

Explosions plumed in the snow, and the horrible beasts vanished, but Hunk knew they were still there, only hiding. He did not stop. Neither did Keith, who summoned his own weapon, a small dagger, lashing out at anyone who dared come close.

Another wave of creatures descended upon Keith, seemingly out of nowhere, but Hunk was ready, launching his jet pack into action, and racing over in a flash of blue light.

Sliding in front of Keith, barrelling his oversized canon their way, Hunk furrowed his brow, ready for business. He despised hostile conflict like this, but they were exhausting his options, and Keith had been hurt.

Negotiation was limited at this stage.

“Okay,” Hunk started, knowing full well these creatures might not understand him, but he relied on the sound of his voice to carry the meaning for him. “I’m gonna get my buddy, and you’re gonna let us leave.  _ Unharmed _ .”

His grip tightened, his aim precise, he kept his bulky body between the threat, and the Paladin he swore he’d protect with his life.

Keith was his fellow Paladin, his buddy, his…

He shook his head. No. Couldn’t get distracted now.

As for Keith, he watched with abject fascination as Hunk placed himself into danger, trying to talk down a lethal threat, for  _ him _ . He knew the Yellow Paladin well enough to know Hunk must have been  _ terrified _ .

But there he stood, weaponising his bayard, his Paladin heart, against a threat, to save Keith.

_ ‘Hunk…’ _

He tried to get to his feet, only to wince, pain searing up his leg.

Nevertheless, determination drove him onwards, forcing him onto his feet against the tension, against the pain, empowered by Hunk’s bravery. He groaned, feeling the life leaking from his leg, and Hunk turned to Keith only for a worried moment.

“Keith, you alright?”

That single moment of weakness was all the snow creatures needed.

They descended upon them, one perilously close to clamping its sharp icicle like fangs down on Hunk’s neck.

Keith acted equally as fast, lunging forward, against every agonising nerve ending pulsating with pain, warning him to stop. With a flick of the wrist, he unsheathed his Mamora blade, and slashed out.

It connected, and the beast squealed with pain, falling back.

A throb of pain shot up Keith’s leg, and he fell against Hunk, who secured his arms around his friend to prevent him from falling.

Without warning, Keith barked out, “Left!” and Hunk obeyed, spinning drastically to the left, allowing Keith to be propelled around, lashing his blade at another intruding monster.

Again, it connected. The creature fell.

“Right!”

And Hunk swept Keith around in his arms, helping him slash out at another snarling snow creature, thirsting for blood. He hit it, but was unable to defend himself when another close at its heels came snapping.

Keith wasn’t ready.

Without warning, Hunk held Keith close, lowering himself, causing the injured Paladin to panic.  _ ‘What is he doing? We’re sitting ducks if he…’ _

Hunk launched, propelled by his jet pack, head butting the fanged beast, and knocking it clean out.

Keith was speechless.

Once Hunk’s landed back on the snowy ground, he rocketed away from the swarm. Head throbbing, vision blurred, he fled, determined to get Keith to safety.

It wasn’t until Hunk charged away, carrying Keith effortlessly in his arms, that he saw a shadow disappearing into the nearby woods.

The shadow carried a gun.

xxx

Tumbling this way and that way, trying to ignore the pain inside his forehead, Hunk fled from the hoards, never letting go of Keith.

Eventually, they came to an opening in a snowy hill, and immediately, Hunk thrust himself inside, minding Keith’s head as he entered. He span around, aiming his freshly materialised canon…

And fired a light shot at the roof entrance, causing it to crumble, closing them off to the world.

The sound of silence reassured them, and Hunk sighed, relieved that they were not being pursued. His bayard evaporated, and he turned to Keith, struggling to see anything in the dark.

“Keith?” Hunk whispered, accessing the light beam on the wrist of his armour. “You alright, bud?”

There was a solid silence, and Hunk feared Keith had passed out or succumbed to exhaustion. His teeth clenched, and he finally felt the fear set in after the adrenaline of the attack settled.

Even when the light found Keith, the other Paladin scarcely moved. Hunk was on the verge of tears, panic taking over his voice.

“Keith?”

“Yeah,” Keith finally answered back, sighing tiredly. “I’m fine, Hunk.”

“And your leg?” Hunk’s heart lifted a little, his gaze reaching Keith’s blood stained leg.

Keith grunted, trying to stretch his throbbing leg with great difficulty. “Ngh, I’ll live.” At those words, Hunk gently lowered his Paladin partner to the floof. Suddenly, Keith looked at Hunk’s forehead, wincing at the sight. “Should be… asking you that. You took quite the hit back there.”

When Keith’s gloved fingers touched the faintest edge of Hunk’s bruised skin, the Yellow Paladin hissed, then stumbled around in the semi-dark, trying to hide the warmth inside his face.

_ ‘Shame his cheeks couldn’t light up a fire…’ _

“I’m okay!” Flustered, Hunk searching around their immediate location for things to use for a makeshift camp. “And besides, the other guy - dude - thing? Got it  _ way _ worse, heh! Hah…”

His laughter died away, and he regretted how stupid he must have sounded, especially around cool Keith.

Only he found they were surrounded by crystals, sapphire blue. After a quick analysis, Hunk chuckled weakly. “Hey, Keith. You won’t believe this.”

The Red Paladin followed suit, scanning his surroundings, then shook his head, unable to hide a small smile. “Lady Luck’s on our side for a change.”

The very energy source they sought had been right under their nose, and they barrelled right into the nearest cavern.

After a short time, the two sat together, next to a flickering fireplace. The gentle blue crystals pulsated softly in the darkness. Hunk had taken just what they needed, the sack glowing blue from the inside.

After the uneasy period of attempting to mend Keith’s leg, wrapping what little protective layers they had around it, they sat in silence. Hunk dared to look at him. He still felt terrible, replaying the events from earlier over and over again in his mind.

_ ‘Keith almost died… He almost died, and it was all my fault.’ _

He tried to hold back the anxiety, staring over at Keith, who in turn just watched the fire.  _ ‘No wonder I’m not…’  _ Flirting on the edge of admission, Hunk let it drop, focusing instead on his Paladin companion.

“Keith? Listen, I…”

“Don’t,” Keith butted in, paying more attention to the flames than Hunk. “Don’t say you’re sorry. You’ve got nothing to apologise for. You weren’t the one that…” He tentatively touched the edge of his bandaged wound. “Took the shot.”

“I saw a shadow,” Hunk began to explain, poking at the fire. “A person, I think? They had what looked like a gun, and they were running away.”

Keith sat in quiet thought for a spell, considering this information. “Must’ve been a mercenary. We’re not the only ones out here, searching for stuff. And it makes sense when you think about it.”

“Makes sense?”

“Some creatures are drawn by the scent of blood, so that mercenary must have saw an opportunity to snoop for supplies without being bothered.”

Suddenly, Hunk snapped, punching the ground beneath him, leaving spider fractures in the cold earth. “That asshole!”

Startled by his friend’s aggression.  _ ‘Hunk? Swearing? That’s a new one.’  _ Then again, Keith would be a poor liar if he said he wasn’t a little touched by the consideration. “...Yeah, he’s an asshole, but he’s a smart asshole.”

Still clenching his teeth, Hunk sighed harshly. “And he’s still out there somewhere. Watching, waiting, hunting…” His eyes bulged suddenly. “You think he’ll come back? Oh God, what if he…”

Keith smiled, shaking his head at the Hunk he knew. “Don’t think so. He probably doesn’t know where we are now. We’re safe now.” He lowered his head. “Thanks to you.”

Hunk blushed. “So, frozen water cooler talk. What’s been on your mind? You’ve been a little distracted since we got here.”

A part of Hunk expected Keith to shoot down his question, and ignore him again. The other Paladin always did hold his cards close to his chest, and they had enough on their empty plate than small talk and secrets.

But Keith answered. “Oh, nothing, just… realised something about myself lately.”

Hunk poked at the crackling fire with his bayard. “The Galra thing?”

“...Kinda. Explains a lot, you know?”

Realising how long he had waited for this moment, Hunk stayed quiet, and listened to Keith talk, knowing that he had been burying it all away. The warm coals of Hunk’s eyes encouraged Keith to keep going.

And so the Red Paladin did.

“I… I’ve always felt awkward around people.” Keith closed his eyes, shutting off his senses as he began to talk. “Even as a kid, with my dad...my... I didn’t know why. I just didn’t want to trust anyone. Maybe so I wouldn’t be rejected? Let down?”

_ Hurt _ . Keith didn’t say it, but Hunk heard it loud and clear.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about my dad lately… and my mom. Dad’s gone, but my mom might still be out there.” Keith stared at the soft bloom of blood colouring his bandage. “Now that I know I’m not who I thought I was.”

Gazing fondly at the Red Paladin, Hunk shook his head. “You’re still you, Keith. You’re still that broody guy that showed us all up at first Lion launch. Being Galra is only, like, a small part of you.”

Keith smiled. “You really are the leg, huh?”

“Kinda,” Hunk replied, awkwardly rotating his ankles in slow movements, trying to keep the circulation going. “But what about you, Mister Right Hand Man? Voltron’d be lost without you whipping the old flaming sword of justice out.”

He mimicked what was undeniably wicked moves. By Keith’s ever small smirk, he was impressed.

“I sorta get you,” Hunk said quietly. “Not like totally the same circumstances, but I… miss my family too. I don’t want you to think I’m being a jerk because I know where mine are, and oh god, I’m messing this up badly…” He gazed at Keith, expecting a hard gaze, but received only softness. So he continued. “You know what? I miss ‘em lots, but I’ve got you guys as a sort of family, a wacky space family, and… it’s not so bad.”

Keith sighed softly. “Huh. Family, huh? I guess we are, but…”

Hunk gulped.  _ ‘But what?’ _

“...Hunk? You guys have always been there for me, some more than others, and I…” Bowing his head, Keith fell silent, forcing Hunk to fill in the blanks. “Things have changed, Hunk.”

Hunk sat back, trying to drown out the voice inside his head that gave him very unhelpful cues. “Changed?”

Keith shifted, the intensity of his warm eyes finding Hunk. Then he slowly drew closer, the fire’s glow caressing his delicate features. Hunk’s heart stuttered from the sharp spike of hope inside his chest, but he tried to ground himself.

_ ‘Come on, big guy, there’s no way…’ _

_ ‘...he’d like you back…’ _

In the flickering light, Keith noticeably held his breath, his cheeks glowing. He sat on this for too long, drawn inside himself like a clam, until his leg brushed against Hunk.

_ ‘There’s no way Hunk…’ _

_ ‘....Keith is into you…’ _

But that faint inkling, that want, drew them closer, the surprise and hope of seeing the other mirror their intent.

“Yeah, it’s… changed…”

Suddenly, Keith’s lips captured his, and Hunk melted against him.

This surreal moment they never thought would happen, like a spell cast in the tundra, brought to reality by their lips together, their cold bodies huddled together in blissful warmth.

Hunk’s large arms wrapped around Keith, who began to learn that maybe, trusting someone else wasn’t too bad. And Hunk realised, as the kiss deepened, that Keith might not have been too crazy about Shiro as he thought.

Keith liked him.

Keith  _ liked _ liked him.

When they broke away reluctantly to catch their breath, Keith cupped Hunk’s cheek, licking his lips. “Wanna take this someplace warmer?”

Interpreting Keith’s words, a strong mental pull from outside stroked his mind. Hunk smiled. “My place or yours?”

Keith’s soft laughter warmed his heart. “Does it matter?”

Once Hunk broke a hole through his makeshift blockade, he offered a modest bow that earned him another chuckle. Knowing that Keith was still recovering, he lifted the Red Paladin into his arms, bridal style, with the crystal stash hanging from his back, and carried him to the outside.

Near the mouth of the cavern was their two Lions, side by side, nuzzling in the snowfall in the warmth of the sunrise.

**Author's Note:**

> My Hunk Winter Holiday Exchange for FenixSeraph, just a day after Hunk’s birthday! Prompts were “semi-canon compliant, action, battle couple, hurt/comfort, bonding over loss.”
> 
> I tried to set the story a little after Keith finds out about his Galra heritage in S2, making references to the Weblum adventure, the Merpeople episode, and the BIG adventure to find ways to repair the Teludav.
> 
> I made up this mission where they go to find new power sources for the ship, so they find a planet with power crystals similar to the Balmera.
> 
> And it’s swarming with wendigo like beasties and mercenaries!
> 
> Got a lot of inspiration from Keith’s vlog about loneliness.
> 
> Thank you very much for reading, and I hope you enjoyed it. ❤️💛


End file.
